


step back (and watch it all burn)

by Iza456



Category: Ocean's (Movies), Ocean's 8, Ocean's Eight
Genre: F/F, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-20
Updated: 2018-07-03
Packaged: 2019-05-25 21:15:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14985734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Iza456/pseuds/Iza456
Summary: Debbie Ocean and Lou Miller never thought they'd get to the place in their lives where they'd be ready to settle down, but when an old friend reaches out for their help, it seems like the perfect opportunity to take that last step in starting a family.orDeb and Lou take in a girl whose life crashed into pieces when her mother died two years ago.





	1. Prologue

Debbie Ocean stood out on the balcony of the two-story loft she and Lou had lived in for the last five years. The lights of the distant city reflected off the view of the bay as she twirled a cigarette between the tips of her fingers. She had not smoked in years but tonight seemed as good as any to pick up the habit again. She was anxious. Her mind persistently wondering to the other side of the city where a young girl fared another night in this unforgiving city alone.

 

            It tugged at her, pulling at strings that made her nearly inhale the sharpest of ways. Neither she nor Lou had been given the chance to meet her yet, but Nine Ball had shown up on their doorstep in the early hours of the morning pleading for their help and they willingly listened. After the heist, the hacker had decided to put her money into creating an underground community center to help kids who had similar backgrounds as she did. It was Nine Ball’s heart and soul, her own sister thriving in the community of young criminals.

 

            The girl’s name was Taylor Lynn.

 

            Fourteen.

 

            And according to the hacker, a force to be reckoned with. The kid had been fighting against being put in the system since her mom passed a couple years back. She resorted to minor thieving on the streets, as she worked to get her GED. It’s how she met Nine Ball.

 

            “I thought I might find you out here.”

 

            Debbie closed her eyes as Lou’s voice washed over her, feeling her warm presence step up beside her. With a tilt of her head, she opened her eyes to take in the silhouette of the woman beside her who was looking out over the water.

 

            “Yeah, well,” Debbie laughed, lifting the cigarette to show Lou, “I’m not exactly on my best game right now.”

 

            Lou let out an amused huff, taking the cigarette between her own fingers and turning it a few times. After a minute of contemplation, she placed it between her lips as she pulled out a lighter. Debbie let out a ‘hey’ in protest but her partner waved her off.

 

            “Relax,” Lou said, on an exhale of smoke, “here.”

 

            “I hate these things,” Debbie said, nonetheless raising the cigarette to her lips.

 

            Smiling, Lou rested her forearms on the railing, looking back out, “Are you going to tell me what’s going on or am I going to have to guess?”

 

            “She’s young,” Debbie breathed, with a shake of her head, “too young.”

 

            Lou nodded, raising an eyebrow, “So you want to do this, huh?”

 

            “We always did say we wanted a family.”

 

            Lou turned towards her, leaning a hip against the rail, “Yeah, but did you ever think we’d actually get there?”

 

            “Someday,” Debbie supposed, “And I think that someday has finally come arrived.”

 

            “You’re sure?”

 

            “Lou, you heard what Nine Ball said, she could do with a chance to - ”

           

            “I’m in.”

 

            Debbie blinked, startled, “What?”

 

            “I’m in,” the blonde said, taking a step towards her, smirking, “I’ve always been in.”

 

            She was speechless. Debbie’s mouth kept opening and closing as she tried to come up with words that would convey the rampage of thoughts that now crowded her. They were really going to do this, jump into something with complete uncertainty. No plan. Just plain, wild openness. It was _fucking_ terrifying, but Lou seemed to understand as she brought a hand up to Debbie’s cheek, her lips pulling into a genuine smile as she leaned in to close the distance between them.

 

            “I love you,” Lou said on a sigh, her lips lightly meeting Debbie’s.

 

            Debbie’s hand traveled up the blonde’s arm to the nape of her neck, deepening the kiss as she opened her mouth to breath her in. She felt fingers twisting at the waist of her shirt, her back hitting the rail. She turned her head, briefly breaking the kiss so that ash blue eyes met brown.

 

            Every unspoken word shared between them was absorbed in the few seconds that passed before Debbie tilted her head back up to press her lips against Lou’s once more. She was her everything, the one person in the world who had enough gravitational pull to keep her from packing up and leaving. The one person who she was willing to lay down roots for, start a family with, _and Goddamn her_ , but she wanted that more than anything.

 

            Lou was her one and only.

 

            Her north star.

 

            And she made damn sure to mold all of those certainties into the fire that was burning through them.

 

            Debbie let out a low whine when Lou pulled back, “Oh, hush you,” she huskily whispered, followed by a wicked grin. Intertwining their fingers together, Lou lead Debbie back into the loft. They fell into bed, the night fading into dusk as they lost themselves in the tangle of nips and licks and the slow but almighty rise to climax.  

 

            It wasn’t until late the next morning, that Lou typed out a short message to an international hacker on the other side of the city, tilting her phone to show the brunette who was curled into her side. A smirk and nod later, it was sent off:

 

_fuck it, we’re in. the cemetery @ 12, and bring the kid._  

           


	2. Chapter 1

Taylor Lynn laid on a dingy mattress, an arm thrown over her face as she let herself get lost in music flooding through her headphones. It’s was an escape, a flimsy one, but maybe if she kept her eyes shut for long enough, she could pretend that everything was how it used to be.

 

            She would be laying on her bed, her mother just down the hall, either cooking dinner or working on grading papers for the literary writing class that she taught at the local college. They never had much, her and her mum, it was a constant struggle, but it always seemed to be enough. Her mother had raised her to be strong, and she prayed to the heavens that the life she now led was one her mum could somehow forgive.

 

            Because she knew this wasn’t the life that she would have wanted for her, but shit happened, and even after two years she was still trying to pick up the pieces. If she had to con her way into getting food for the night, then so be it. She could forgive herself for that.

 

            A shift in the lighting of the room pulled Taylor from her thoughts causing her to remove her arm and sit up. Annoyed that she was going to have to tell someone off for trying to get her bed, she abruptly yanked her headphones out only to come up short when she saw who it was.

 

            “Hey,” she said hesitantly, her finger fiddling with an earbud as she watched the woman in front of her pull back a blind to look out the window.

 

            “I want you to come with me,” Nine Ball said, sparing a glance at her, “I have some people I want you to meet.”

 

            “Are they that couple you were talking about the other day?” Taylor asked, pulling a leg up so she could lay her arms over it, “Because I’ve been thinking about what you said and I’d rather just stay here.”

 

            Sighing, Nine Ball approached her, sinking down on the mattress and leaning her back up against the wall, “You deserve so much better than this, Lynn.”

 

            Taylor slowly shook her head, a sad smile pulled at her lips, shrugging, “I chose this life.”

 

            “No. You didn’t.” Nine Ball responded just as quick, “You didn’t just do this just for the thrill of it, you’re doing it so that you have what you need to survive. It’s different.”

 

            “But it doesn’t change anything, I’m still a criminal,” Taylor smirked, “just like you.”

 

            “Oh, kid,” Nine Ball laughed, flipping a tress of hair over her shoulder, “you’re not even close to my league.”

 

            The young girl couldn’t help but laugh when Nine Ball laced her fingers together and cracked them. It was a relief to be around someone and have it feel natural, to be able to laugh and smile.

   

            She let herself collapse back onto the bed, random bouts of laughter escaping her as they sat in a comfortable silence. This was why she didn’t want to leave. She was happy here, with Nine Ball and the rest of the crazy people who she had learned to call her friends.

 

            “Lynn,” Nine Ball softened, “No matter what, you are always welcome back here, this isn’t me kicking you out. I just want you to have a chance at a real life.”

 

            Taylor allowed the words to sink in over her, before rotating towards Nine Ball, “You promise?”

 

            “Yes,” Nine Ball responded in a droning voice, dragging it out with a smile, “Now come on, we’re late.”

 

            “What time were we supposed to meet them?”

 

            “Twelve.”

 

            “Dude,” Taylor laughed, flipping her watch over, “It’s like twelve-thirty.”

 

            “They’ll wait,” she said while pushing herself to her feet. She held out her hands for Taylor to grab and she did, allowing the woman to pull her up. “You're worth it.”

 

            Nine Ball exited the room before the words could fully register, and a second later Taylor looked up from grabbing her bag with a soft pull of her lips. Something settled within her with those words, and she felt a wave of confidence rush through her. She’s got this, and even if she didn’t, she would always have her safety net nuzzled in these four walls.

 

            But it was now time to take a leap of faith, to barrel herself off a cliff and pray to heaven and hell that she would make it to the other side. And god she hoped she did because she hasn’t come this far only to fail now.

 

            She spared a glance around the room that she had called her own for the last two years, and couldn’t help but feel a scrape of despair at the thought of not coming back. But it was all pushed to the back of her mind when she heard the call of her name from downstairs. She quickly flipped the light switch off, pitching the room into darkness before closing the door behind her.

 

 

~ - ~ - ~

 

            Debbie sat on a bench outside of the cemetery, Lou’s arm thrown over the back of it as they quietly sat together. The tree they sat under protected them from the sun’s heating rays, a light breeze ruffling the leaves above them. They both kept their sunglasses on, scanning their surroundings for one particular face.

 

             “Where the fuck is she?” Debbie finally asked, her patience wearing thin as the minutes passed.

 

              Lou let a low rumble of laughter roll escape her, “Your lack of patience astonishes me.”

 

             “It’s been forty minutes.”

 

            “You waited for a hell of a lot longer for me. I think you can handle an hour stop time before meeting her.” When Debbie threw her a look that screamed distaste, Lou just smirked before continuing, “I’m excited too, you know, but expectations can only take you so far, you need to sit back and enjoy it.”

 

             “Well, that’s easier said than done.” Debbie breathed, leaning forward to rub her hands over her eyes. Her knees bracketed her elbows as she let out a low groan, “Why am I so nervous?”

 

            Instead of answering her question, she felt Lou rub her back momentarily before wrapping an arm around her shoulders. The blonde leaned forward to press a kiss against the brunette’s temple, mumbling in her ear, “Comes with the territory, babe.”

 

            She let out a grunt in protest but leaned into the embrace, taking every ounce of strength she could from the woman beside her. Inhaling deeply, she straightened back up as she prepared to wait for however long it took until the hacker decided to show up. It was then that she caught sight of two people walking towards them.

 

            “Lou,” she said with a push of her elbow to get her partner’s attention.

 

            A shaky breath from the lateral and they stood, watching as two figures moved towards them. The shorter of the two had her head thrown back in laughter, a knitted book bag hanging off one shoulder as her thick brown hair that reached down to her lower back bounced with each step. The second individual they recognized almost immediately. Having spent five weeks straight together, it easily gave wind to allow them to identify Nine Ball, even if it was a hundred yards out.

 

            Debbie’s hand found Lou’s when Nine Ball and Taylor took the final steps towards them, the laughter from the pair died in the nervous energy that now bounced between the group. The hacker quickly realized that they were waiting for her to make the first instructions so after clearing her throat, she said, “Deb, Lou, this is Taylor Lynn. Taylor, I’d like to introduce you to two of the most badass chicks I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing, Debbie Ocean and Lou Miller.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As requested, hope this chapter is as enjoyable as the last! Next chapter we'll be getting into more of the main plotline so I hope you're ready! And thank you in advance for any kudos, subscriptions, and comments!


	3. Chapter 2

Lou Miller held herself up tall, her hand clasped between the fingers of the woman she loved as she ran her other hand soothingly over Deb’s forearm in hopes of easing the tension that seemed to be building within her. Nine Ball had just finished her quick introduction so she spared a glance away from her friend to the young girl who stood in front of them and couldn’t stop the upward turn of her lips.

 

            It seemed she and Debbie weren’t the only ones who were nervous.

 

            With a reassuring squeeze, Lou removed a hand and held it out towards Taylor, “It’s nice to finally meet you.”

 

            Taylor responded with her own smile and placed her hand in Lou’s, “Likewise.”

 

            After a moment, the girl pulled her hand back, running it through her hair before sticking it in her back pocket. Lou couldn’t help but regard how the young brunette tilted her head to glance at Debbie, to an unsuspecting eye it would seem to just be simply interest. But Lou caught the way she promptly looked away after a few seconds.

 

            It momentarily made her want to step in, try to push Debbie along, so she didn’t send this girl into a spiral of self-doubt of what their intentions were. But her partner was never one not to be able to play with what was in front of her.

 

            “I hope you like a view of the water,” Debbie said with a smile, “Our loft’s located on the other side of the bay, it can be quite breathtaking.”

 

            Taylor seemed to release a breath that she had been holding, and so did Lou, relaxing the girl responded, “That sounds wonderful.”

 

            “Good,” Debbie nodded, looking in the distance, “I was thinking we could get some lunch before we head back to the loft, I know a place. Leslie, you’re welcome to join us.”

 

            Lou’s unexpected laugh caught in the back of throat making her cough in an attempt to recover, Nine Ball stared daggers at Debbie, and Taylor’s eyes widened in amusement and shock.

 

            “Your name is Leslie?” the girl exclaimed, a grin pulling on her lips that spelled trouble.

 

            Nine Ball muttered something under her breath that sounded a lot like a stream of curses before she grimaced at Taylor, “Yeah, think you can keep that between us kid.”

 

            “Sure,” Taylor answered, sounding anything but compliant to the request.

 

            “ _Great_.”

 

            “I don’t know why you’re so afraid of everyone knowing,” Debbie interrupted in a sing-song voice, “it’s a lovely name.”  

 

            “Fuck you.”

 

            Lou rolled her eyes, sparing a glance at Taylor who seemed more than happy to sit back and watch the show. She reached out to Debbie first, squeezing her arm before waving a hand between them, “Alright guys enough of that, yeah.”

 

            Debbie just grinned at Nine Ball’s disgust while heeding to Lou’s request. The hacker rolled her shoulders in an agitated way, almost like she was trying to shake off the feeling of annoyance that the brunette had pushed into her.

 

            “So,” Taylor breathed, breaking the silence as she briefly stood up on her toes in excitement, “someone said something about food.”

 

~ - ~ - ~

 

Taylor had decided to order a classic burger from the food truck that Debbie had taken them to. Ironically, it was stationed right in front of the Met. That little detail didn’t seem to faze any of the women, and when asked, Debbie had just shared a look with Lou before responding with all the cockiness in the world, “It’s the best food truck in town.”

 

            They were all currently sitting on the steps of the vast museum, Taylor, who was leaning forward as she took a bite of the burger, cursed at the mess it was causing. Lou whispered a quiet ‘here’ before handing her a few more napkins and Taylor smiled in thanks.

 

            The blonde’s lips pulled a little at the corners, her eyes glancing back out over the hordes of people bustling around. Taylor couldn’t help but follow her gaze, it was almost relaxing looking over the crowds. Everyone always had a place to be in this city, always moving quickly, barely giving themselves a chance to breathe before moving on to their next task.

 

            To be able to sit here and watch them, it gave way to a different perspective.

 

            She heard the faint whispers of Debbie and Leslie talking behind her, but she ignored them, preferring not to know whatever business they were discussing.

 

            An hour or so later, they crammed themselves into the back of Lou’s old truck and headed towards the couple’s loft. Taylor couldn’t help but feel excited even as her nervousness shined through with the beat at which her leg was bouncing. She wanted to plug her earphones in and drown out the world with her music, but she didn’t want to be seen as rude in the eyes of the women who were taking her in, so she resisted.

 

            It was a good thirty minutes before they rolled down a gravel road, the tires of the truck crunching as it rocked over the bumps. The building that appeared in front of her was not at all what she had been expecting. Its exterior screamed in bold letters to stay the hell away, towering high in a two-story brick complex.

 

            “I see you kept the barbwire,” Leslie said out of the corner of her mouth, she grinned when Lou scoffed from the front seat.

 

            “Holds a certain aesthetic, doesn’t it?”

 

            The hacker just shook her head, opening her door as the Lou pulled to a stop, “Come on, kid.”

 

            Taylor shuffled across the seat, pulling her duffle bag out of the trunk from over the back seat. Her book bag hung from her shoulders, and when her feet touch the gravel, she felt Nine Ball pull her into her side, “Never judge a book by its cover.”

 

            Debbie was already at the rustic metal door, turning her key into the lock and pulling the door open. Lou was the first to walk through the door, turning directly to her right to flip the breaker-like light switches on. When Taylor step in she had to hold back a gasp, Nine Ball was right, she never would have guessed from the outside.

 

            The space was surprisingly modern but still held a certain rustic appeal. Lots of sanded down, light brown wood that gave the place a feeling of warmth. The first thing she saw when she stepped into the space was the back of an off-white couch, a light blue rug laid beneath, and an oblique wooden coffee table in the middle. Two similarly colored chairs were on the other side, closing in the space to make it seem like a room in and of itself.

 

            There was a large, flat screen TV hung on the far left wall, a cabinet set underneath that held what seemed to be hundreds of records and the record player itself was placed in the middle on top. That section of the room had its own, fluffier, rug and two stylistic chairs that made the area seem like the ultimate hang out space.

 

            She was broken briefly from her exploring when Lou placed a hand on her shoulder, letting her know that she was going to take the duffel bag she was holding from her. Taylor thanked her watching as the tall blonde strode towards a set of stairs and placed the bag on the side of it. Her eyes trailed up the steps over to the railed spaced above. There had to be at least three or four bedroom doors lining the wall a few feet back from the rail.

 

            For the first time, she actually considered which one might be hers.

 

            “Hey, kid,” Nine Ball said, hesitantly breaking the silence that had fallen over all of them, “I gotta go, got some shit to take care of before it gets too dark.”

 

            Those few words seemed to pull Taylor back into herself, making her regret not taking advantage of the last minutes she had with her friend.

 

            “Hey,” the hacker stepped up to her, tilting her head up by her chin, so their eyes met, “this isn’t goodbye.”

 

            “It sure feels like it,” Taylor laughed wetly.

 

            “Come by Nine’s tomorrow,” she said referring to the community center with a smile, “we have a surprise for you anyway.”

 

            “Sure they aren’t celebrating that my ass is gone?”

 

            “No,” Nine Ball laughed, “Though they’re probably thrilled to have another bed, but I have no doubts that they are going to miss you. You’re pretty amazing, Taylor Lynn.”

 

            “Well thanks, Leslie.”

 

            She apologized when the woman in front of her scrunched up her face in distaste before glaring at her with a look that said she could ruin her with one tap of her keyboard. Raising her hands in mock surrender, she said a quick ‘couldn’t resist’ and hoped that the conversation would move on.

 

            “See!” Debbie exclaimed, pointing her hand in Taylor’s direction, “I’m not the only one!”

 

            “Not now, Deb,” Lou responded, and despite her amusement, she caught her partner’s hand and pulled it back down.

 

            “I really got to go, kid,” Nine Ball said with a sigh reverting her attention back to her. She took Taylor’s face between her hands and leaned down to smack a huge kiss on her forehead before backing away with a smile. Raising two fingers to her forehead, she mock saluted the group, “See ya tomorrow.”

 

            With a skip, Nine Ball had turned around sparing one last smile and wave at Taylor before the door closed behind her.

 

~ - ~ - ~

           

Nine Ball wasted no time stepping into the cab that was waiting for her outside the residence, immediately pulling her phone out of her pocket as she sat down. Leaning forward, she told the cab driver where to go as she scrolled through her recent calls. She clicked on the name of the person she wanted to call and sat back as she waited for an answer.

 

            “Hello.”

 

            “She’s with them,” the hacker said as she looked out the window, seeing past the trees and concrete sidewalks that they drove past.

 

            A relieved sigh breathed through the phone, “Do Deb and Lou know?”

 

            “No,” Nine Ball shook her head, “And if everything goes to plan, they won’t need to.”

 

            Silence echoed through the phone, “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

 

            “No,” she said once more, gritting her teeth, “and that’s exactly why I’m waiting until there’s something more concrete to run off of.”

 

            “I knew her mother, I mean we both did, but Nine’s it’s not going to be easy to keep her hidden when he finds out _you_ took his daughter from him.”

 

            “Yeah, well, I’m going to be ready for him this time,” Nine Ball exhaled a long of the breath, closing her eyes against the burning of tears. When she opened them, her clear green eyes shined in determination, “Tammy, I’m not going to let her sacrifice be in vain, not when her daughter’s life is on the line.”  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So now that I've done that (lol), I would love to hear what all of you are thinking! I have a pretty good idea of where I want to take this story, so I hope all of you are ready because... it's going to be bumpy, but ultimately there will be a happily ever after, promise :)
> 
> And once again I want to thank you for all the kudos, subscriptions, and comments!

**Author's Note:**

> Shall I continue? Leave a comment below to let me know ;)


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